Like Jordan, Ewing and Miller, the last name Payton is one that is revered by all in the basketball community. The first name that comes to mind is NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who is still among the NBA’s all-time leaders in both assists and steals. And even though "The Glove" has been retired for the better part of 8 years, I doubt you can find anyone in the Pacific Northwest that isn’t familiar with that name. Partially because he played in Seattle for the better part of his career but also because his son, Gary Payton II, is carrying on the family name and further cementing it into the basketball history books at his Father’s Alma mater, Oregon State.
The younger Payton was born and partially raised in Seattle where his father was a point guard for the SuperSonics for 12+ seasons. He reflects now on what it was like growing up with an NBA star for a father.
"It was hard at times. I would get picked on at school a little. But it was also fun and exciting getting to do things that a normal kid doesn’t have a chance to do. I really didn’t grasp who my Father was [in terms of being an NBA player] until I got a little bit older but once I did it was really cool. I paid more attention to everything then.
We attended a lot of games. Every time we got the chance we were there. Sometimes we couldn’t go because of school or other stuff like that and when they were on the road. As a kid I remember a lot of games at KeyArena. I used to go up there and shoot around before the games and get to mess around with the players."
But with the pro’s of being the son of an NBA player, there are also con’s that you have to deal with. GPII spent a few years traveling around the country as his Father was traded from Seattle to Milwaukee and then signed with Los Angeles, Boston and Miami all within a five year period.
"Went to Milwaukee, then to Los Angeles and finally to Boston but when he went to Miami we made our permanent home in Vegas, which had been our summer home. That was where I went to high school."
For GPII, the travel was something that he took in stride. He still did everything else that other kids did. Along with following in his father’s footsteps to play basketball, he played football, baseball, soccer and even lettered in swimming. But his true passion was basketball, a sport that he had seen his Father play his entire life. He wasn’t the most polished player when he finally decided to focus on basketball, but he had a goal and knew what it would take to accomplish it.
"I really didn’t start taking basketball serious and start working at my game until my junior year in high school. I made it a goal to work a lot on my game that summer and for my last two years of high school. I went to prep school for a year and then went to community college. I think those years really did a lot for me and my game. Especially with my basketball IQ. It helped get me mentally and physically prepared."
After playing two seasons at Salt Lake Community College in Utah, where he won two Conference Championships, the younger Payton decided to continue in his Fathers’ footsteps and committed to Oregon State. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion that he would attend his Father’s Alma mater but after discussing it with this family and weighing the pros and cons of playing elsewhere, he decided that becoming a Beaver was the right decision for his career.
"Even coming out of CC, I didn’t think I was going to get recruited as highly as I did. I really had my mind set on going to St. Mary’s but after my visit here (to Oregon State) it was just incredible. The town and all of the fans, Beaver Nation, were just great. I just wanted to put basketball back on the map since they had been going through a slump in recent years. I just wanted to help get this team back on the right track and back where they were during the glory days."
Of course, Payton is referring to the NCAA Tournament drought that has been going on in Corvallis since Gary Payton Sr. last stepped on the floor as a Beaver in 1990. Oregon State hasn’t been dancing since then and it would be almost poetic if his son could lead the team back for the first time in 25 years.
Payton had a tremendous first season for the Beavers, posting a stat line of 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and an absurd 3.1 steals per game. The Beavers improved their overall record in GPII’s first season but were only 17-14 overall and 8-10 in the Pac-12 which was only good enough for a CBI invitation. Payton flirted with entering the NBA Draft after last season but decided that he had unfinished business at Oregon State and decided to return for his senior season.
"I knew I wanted to stay both years. I didn’t really see how staying another year could do anything but help me get better. I wanted to get the most out of my time here. I want to graduate and get my degree. And at the same time work on my game, get us back to the NCAA Tournament and get myself to that next level. My Dad was fine with both options. He told me that if I declared, then I would have a lot of work to do but if I came back that it wouldn’t hurt me and that I could keep improving my game."
That was sound advice from a Father who has been through this exact same process. By all accounts, GPII would have likely been a second round pick had he come out after last season but as so many players know all to well, second round picks don’t come with any guarantees and most take at least a year or two before they make a roster, let along make an impact for an NBA team. It was a good decision that has turned into a great decision as he has improved on every single aspect of his game so far this season. The Beavers are 11-3, including a 2-1 mark in the Pac-12 and GPII is in contention for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors at this point in the season.
"We had a more difficult schedule in the non-conference this season. I think the coaches did a good job of playing schools with household names. I think it is great for the young guys to have that challenge. Those types of games help me work on being a better leader. We didn’t really set a particular goal for this season. We are approaching it just like we did last year by taking it one game at a time. If the opportunity (for an NCAA Tournament birth) presents itself at the end of the season, then great. We just want to go out there, work hard every game and play each one like it is our last. It would be nice for us to get back to the Tournament though."
His Father, nicknamed "The Glove", was known for his defensive prowess and ability to seemingly get his hands into passing lanes and on loose balls. As with many things in GPII’s journey, the phrase "like father, like son" comes to mind as he is just as crafty on the defensive side of the ball. He knows that is his calling card and something that will impress pro scouts as the ability to defend is at a premium in the NBA.
"I’d say my biggest strength is definitely on the defensive side of the ball. Being active and talking. I try to wreak havoc on defense with my hands. Just trying to make plays on defense that will lead to good offense for the rest of my team. My Mom came up with a pretty cool nickname for me. She calls me "The Thief" because of the way I play defense and steal the ball. She’s created a little buzz with that nickname so I think I’m going to run with that one."
He even likes to compare his game to one of the better defensive players in the league currently even though they play different positions.
"I like to model my game after Kawhi Leonard. He came into the league as a defensive minded player causing havoc on that side of the ball. He was the type of player that let his defense help get his offensive game going and now he’s a two way player. I want to try and develop my game in that same way. Come in, play defense and use that to help me become a better offensive player as I get more comfortable."
But for all the comparison’s to his Father, one thing that Payton II doesn’t do is give the ref’s a hard time like his Dad used to. At least not all the time.
"If they deserve it then yes (laughs). But I’ll go talk to them from time to time. I don’t think I talk to them like he used to do. I try to keep them on my side just in case (laughs again). Maybe they’ll give me the benefit of the doubt every now and then."
Seems like sound reasoning and something that dear old Dad could have used to his advantage a time or two as he was battling Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the NBA Finals but that ship has sailed. There’s a new sheriff in the Payton household, as far as basketball is concerned, and everyone knows it. So much so that one Payton has retired completely from the one on one games in the driveway that were the foundation for where the other is today.
"He won’t play me one on one anymore (laughs). I think he knows. He knows he is at that age and it is that time where he can’t beat me anymore. It is a new era and he knows that I can get him now (laughs). I take the fact that he won’t play me as a win."
I don’t necessarily know if I believe that one as Payton Sr. was still a great player into the twilight years of his career. He was always too crafty to let a "youngster" get the best of him. But with the way his son has developed, it just might be true. But one thing is for sure, Gary Payton II has a bright future ahead of him and should hear his name called at some point during this June’s Draft, possibly in round one. He has put in the work and it is paying dividends for not only himself, but for his teammates, his coaches and the University as a whole as he is attempting to do what no player has done since his Father was playing and that is getting this program back to the NCAA Tournament.
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